TerraDrive Universe:Etiquette
This page offers some principles of etiquette on how to work with others in the TerraDrive Universe. You can read about more basic conventions at the policies and guidelines page. The TerraDrive Universe's contributors come from many different countries and cultures. We have many different views, perspectives, opinions, and backgrounds, sometimes varying widely. Treating others with respect is key to collaborating effectively in building a Universe we can all enjoy. Principles of TDU etiquette * Assume good faith. Wikipedia has worked remarkably well so far based on a policy of nearly complete freedom to edit, and the TerraDrive Universe considers this model something to aspire to. People come here to collaborate and write good articles. * Treat others as you would have them treat you – even if they are new. We were all new once... * Be polite, please! ** Keep in mind that raw text is ambiguous and often seems ruder than the same words coming from a person standing in front of you. Irony isn't always obvious - text comes without facial expressions, vocal inflection or body language. Be careful of the words you choose – what you intended might not be what others perceive, and what you read might not be what the author intended. * Sign and date your posts to talk pages (not articles!), unless you have some excellent reasons not to do so. :* If you have not registered yourself, do not construct a signature that might make it appear that you have. * Work toward agreement. * Argue facts, not personalities. * Don't ignore questions. ** If another disagrees with your edit, provide good reasons why you think it's appropriate. * Concede a point when you have no response to it, or admit when you disagree based on intuition or taste. * Be civil. * Although it's understandably difficult in a heated argument, if other editors are not as civil as you'd like them to be, make sure to be more civil than them, not less. That way at least you're not spiraling down to open conflict and name-calling by your own accord; you're actively doing something about it: taking a hit and refraining from hitting back – everybody appreciates that (or at least they should). ** However, don't hesitate to let the other party know that you're not comfortable with their tone in a neutral way – otherwise they might think you're too dense to understand their "subtlety", and you'll involuntarily encourage them (e.g. "I know you've been sarcastic above, but I don't think that's helping us resolve the issue. However, I don't think your argument stands because..."). * Be prepared to apologize. In animated discussions, we often say things we later wish we hadn't. Say so. * Forgive and forget. * Recognize your own biases and keep them in check. * Give praise when due. Everybody likes to feel appreciated, especially in an environment that often requires compromise. Drop a friendly note on users' talk pages. * Remove or summarize resolved disputes that you initiated. * Help mediate disagreements between others. * If you're arguing, take a break. If you're mediating, recommend a break. ** Take it slowly. If you're angry, take time out instead of posting or editing. Come back in a day or a week. You might find that someone else has made the desired change or comment for you. If no one is mediating, and you think mediation is needed, enlist someone. ** Walk away or find another article to distract yourself – there are articles in the TerraDrive Universe! Take up a Uniiproject or lend your much-needed services at pages needing attention and Cleanup. Or write a new article. * Remember what the TerraDrive Universe is not. * Review the list of faux pas. * Avoid reverts and deletions whenever possible, and stay within the three-revert rule except in cases of clear vandalism. Explain reversions in the edit summary box. ** Amend, edit, discuss. * Remind yourself that these are people you're dealing with. They are individuals with feelings and probably have other people in the world who love them. Try to treat others with dignity. * Remember the Golden Rule: "treat others as you want them to treat you." How to avoid abuse of talk pages * Most people take pride in their work and in their point of view. Egos can easily get hurt in editing, but talk pages are not a place for striking back. They're a good place to comfort or undo damage to egos, but most of all they're for forging agreements that are best for the articles they're attached to. If someone disagrees with you, try to understand why, and in your discussion on the talk pages take the time to provide good reasons why you think your way is better. * Like science, the improvement process employed by the TerraDrive Universe is iterative and the critical analysis of prior work is a necessary part of that process. If you are not prepared to have your work thoroughly scrutinized, analyzed and criticized, if your ego is easily damaged, or if you are so attached to your narrative ideas that you cannot accept a major change in your vision, then the TerraDrive Universe is probably not the place for you. * Don't label or personally attack people or their edits. ** Terms like "racist", "sexist" or even "poorly written" make people defensive. This makes it hard to discuss articles productively. If you have to criticize, you must do it in a polite and constructive manner. * Always make clear what point you are addressing, especially in replies. ** In responding, make it clear what idea you are responding to. Quoting a post is O.K., but paraphrasing it or stating how you interpreted it is better. Furthermore, qualify your interpretation with a remark such as "as you seem to be saying" or "as I understand you" to acknowledge that you are making an interpretation. Before proceeding to say that someone is wrong, concede you might have misinterpreted him or her. ** Interweaving rebuttals into the middle of another person's comments, however, is generally a bad idea. It disrupts the flow of the discussion and breaks the attribution of comments. It may be intelligible to the two of you, but it's virtually impossible for the rest of the community to follow. A few things to bear in mind * If someone disagrees with you, this does not necessarily mean that the person hates you, that the person thinks you're stupid, that the person him/herself is stupid, or that the person is mean. When people post opinions without practical implications for the article, it's best to just leave them be. What you think is not necessarily right or necessarily wrong – a common example of this is religion. Before you think about insulting someone's views, think about what would happen if they insulted your religion. Also, always remember that anything that is written on the TerraDrive Universe is kept permanently, even if it is not visible. * Try to avoid deleting things as a matter of principle. When you amend and edit, it is remarkable how you might see something useful in what was said. Most people have something useful to say. That includes you. Deletion upsets people and makes them feel they have wasted their time – consider moving their text to a sub-directory of their user pages instead (saying not quite the right place for it but so they can still use it): much less provocative. * The TerraDrive Universe invites you to be bold. Before initiating discussion, ask yourself: is this really necessary to discuss? Could I provide a with my edit and wait for others to quibble if they like? * You can always take a discussion to e-mail or to your user page if it's not essential to the article. * If you know you don't get along with someone, don't interact with them more than you need to. Unnecessary conflict distracts everyone from the task of making a good encyclopedia, and is just unpleasant. Actually following someone you dislike around the TerraDrive Universe is sometimes considered stalking, and is frowned on because it can be disruptive. If you don't get along with someone, try to become more friendly. If that doesn't help the situation then it is probably best to avoid them. * Though editing articles is acceptable (and, in fact, encouraged), editing the signed words of another editor on a talk page or other discussion page is generally not acceptable, as it can alter the intent or message of the original comment and misrepresent the original editor's thoughts. Try to avoid editing another editor's comments unless absolutely necessary.